“The Lovers of the False Moon”

Manuel Álvarez Bravo (1902-2002) was a luminary not only in his native Mexico, where he taught himself photography and lived to be 100, but throughout the world. In addition to staging more than 150 solo exhibitions, he was recognized with numerous international photography prizes and several books, and he is represented in major museum collections from Mexico City to Paris to Kyoto.

“He is an amazing figure in photography,” having worked from the 1920s until the 1990s and staying relevant to this day, said Chantel Paul, assistant curator at the Museum of Photographic Arts. “He photographed life as it was happening in Mexico. He had a really keen eye to create incredible narratives in his work.”

Álvarez Bravo spotted a pair of young lovers, she with her hand in his back pocket, strolling down a street, probably in Mexico. Their romantic bond is sealed by a painted “moon” and a street sign that with little imagination suggests an X, or a kiss. Only a master could capture this visually striking and poignant composition in the blink of an eye.

Now, four decades later, the charming story this recently acquired photograph tells is as fresh as new love.